Conveying apparatus



H. R. LOUGHRIDGE CONVEYING APPARATUS July 1 1924.

Filed Nov. 13, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1

INVENW I ATTORNEY July 1 1924.

H. R. LOUGHRIDGE CONVEYING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 13, 1922 2 Sheets5beet 2 FIG.

FIG. 6

FIG. 5

ATTORNEY Patented July 1, 1924.

HOWARD It. LOUGI'IBIDGE, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR'OF ONE TENTH TO W. B. MCCRORY, OF PITTSBURGII, PENNSYLVANIA; TWO-TENTHS TO G. J". HERZOG, OF WILKINSBURG,PENNSYLVANIA; TVfO-TENTHS TO L. W. HERZOG, OF TROY, NEW YORK; TWO-TENTHS TO C. H. LOUGHRIBGE, O'F CLEVELAND, OHIO; AND ONE-TENTH TO N. F. LOUGHRIDGE, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

CONVEYING APPARATUS.

Application filed November 13, 1922. Serial Ito/600,622.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD R. LOUGH RIDGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Conveying Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of an improvement in conveying apparatus for building blocks or similar material. It has for its object to provide a supporting frame adapted to be connected in series with one or more similar frames mounted on supporting carriages, together with means for intermittently shifting the frame or frames for the purpose of receiving and supporting the blocks, etc., so that they be easily stored or handled.

The invention is particularly adapted to the manufacture of concrete or other building blocks or similar material, and utilizes the operative mechanism and performs the functions hereinafter described.

In the drawings, illustrating one preferred embodiment of the invention, 7

Fig. 1 is a general plan view of the apparatus showing one complete supporting frame and a portion of another, with the actuating mechanism therefor;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevationof Fig. 1, partly broken away;

Fig. 3 is a view of the mechanism in sectional end elevation, indicated by the line III-III of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the cam operated lifting post for the shifting pawl;

Fig. 5 is a partial detail view of a portion of the cam carriage, showing the cam roll and its mounting;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional View on the line VIVI of Fig. 5

In the manufacture of concrete building blocks or the like, it is desirable that the blocks as made shall be quickly transported for storage or shipment, without unnecessary loss of time or space. In this art, blocks are also frequently charged into a drying kiln or similar cavity for which purpose,

I provide a supporting rack or frame generally lndloated by the numeral 2. Such frame is of skeleton construction, made of structural steel members suitably framed and braced, as generally indicated in Fig. 1, whereby to provide a flat supporting upper surface, upon which are deposited in close arrangement crosswise, the several blocks a, to the capacity of the frame. The name 2 is mounted upon a carrying truck or carriage 8, of any suitable construction, which in turn is carried by wheels 4.4 of axle members 5 on the rails 66 of a longitudinal track.

The'upper frame 2 is preferably mounted resiliently above truck 3, as b cushion springs 7, surrounding the upwardly extendmg pins 8 extending through the receiving opening in the lower flanges 9 of the main side members of the frame 2. By such con struction, and ,with suitably designed springs, the truck will give to a degree under the load or weight of the assembled blocks, and these will be cushioned sufficiently to 'prevent'any injury in their plastic condition,

due to jarring or bumping. Each truck 3 is provlded at its ends with a coupling terminal 10, adapting the trucks for connection with each other by means of a. coupling pin 11 of well known construction. As thus connected in series, a train of trucks and their frames is capable of being moved continuously by periodic impulses along the tracks 6.

' For the purpose of thus shifting the trucks and their frames as loaded at any givenpoint of delivery, from a crane or the adapted to be intermittently moved forwardly and backwardly for each shifting operation of the frame and its truck.

F or such purpose, the shifting carrlage 18 is mounted by upper wheels 19-19 and lower wheels 2020 on rails 2121 of a comparatively short trackway arranged underneath the general level of the main tracks 6. Wheels 19 and 20, as shown, embrace the rails 21, whereby to maintain the shifting carriage against Vertical variation and maintain accuracy in the mechanism of the shifting pawl. Arm 14 is normally retained in and lowered to its normal inoperative position by spring 22. For the purpose of elevating the operative end of arm 14; nd its pawl 13 for engagement with the teeth of rack 12, arm 14 is provided with a downwardl extending bearing post 23 hav ing at its lowerwend a bearing ball 2%, sultably mounted for reducing friction.

A cam 25 is mounted for lateral rotation on ashaft 26 extendingupwardly through clearance slot 27, Fig. 5, in carriage member 18, and also carried in suitable bearings 28 below and above the shifting carriage. Shaft 26 is driven through gears 29-30, and shaft 31, from any suitable source of power and at the desired speed. The edge of cam 25 bears against a front and rear roller 3233 respectively, carried by studs 34 extending upwardly from the member 18 of the shifting carriage, or otherwise suitably mounted. Said studs or one of them is preferably mounted in slots 35, whereby to eifect adjustment for taking up of lost motion between them and the cam. This also provides for the substitution of cams of different throw so as to vary the amount of movement as desired.

The upper face of cam 25, at its proper location, is inclined as at 36, whereby'to effect upward shifting movement to lifting post 23 at the proper time to bring the pawl 13 into engagement with one of teeth 12. At another point on the cam, a corresponding sloping face is provided, whereby to corre.. 'spondingly lower the post, for backward movement of the shifting carriage, such inclined surfaces occurring between the higher cam surface 37 and the opposite lower surface 38, as will be readily understood.

By the construction as thus described, rotation of shaft 26 and cam 25 will effect forward and backward movement of carriage 18, and proper engagement and disengagement of the pawl 13 so as to shift the carriage 3 forwardly to the extent of one block space, at which time the pawl is disengaged and carriage 18 is retracted for the next operation.

The operation of shaft 26 and its cam is continuous, and the speed can be readily regulated to the speed at which the articles are being deposited on the frame. The

frames are preferably proportioned to receive a definite number of blocks without lost space, depending upon their size, so that in a continuous series of frames and trucks, a train of such may be advanced along the supporting track and into a kiln or elsewhere. Likewise, each particular frame 2 with its load of blocks may be bodily lifted away from its supporting truck by a crane or other suitable mechanism sliding upwardly over the ends of pins 8 and deposited at any suitable point.

The entire mechanism is very simple and compact, it is of economical construction, and can be operated without the necessity of any attention or manual assistance. It greatly simplifies and cheapens the operation of manufacturing and transporting building blocks or any material which may be delivered upon or carried by it, and is adapted to various application and use. It

will be understood that its dimensions, strength, or other details of construction are within the judgment of and may be changed by the builder, or any one utilizing the invention, and that any such changes are to be understood as within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. In apparatus of the kind disclosed, a supporting truck provided with an upper removable carrying frame and intervening cushioning springs, and intermittently operable mechanism for shifting the truck longitudinally.

2. 1n apparatus of the kind disclosed, a supporting truck provided with upwardly extending guiding pins and surrounding cushioning springs, and an upper removable frame having portions engaging said pins and springs.

3. In apparatus of the kind disclosed, a supporting truck provided with upwardly extending guiding pins and surrounding cushioning springs, an upper removable frame having portlons engaging said pins and spring, and means for shifting said truck and frame intermittently.

4. In apparatus of the kind disclosed, a

supporting truck provided with an upper removable carrying frame, intervening cushioning springs, a lower rack bar on the truck, and an actuating pawltherefor.

5. 1n apparatus of the kind disclosed, a

supporting truck provided with an upper removable carrying frame, intervening cush- 10Il1I1g" springs, a lower rack bar on the truck, an actuating pawl therefor, and mech- .anism for actuating the pawl and for shift- 7. In combination with a supporting carthe teeth of a carriage rack, a cam, a lifting I'iage having a toothed rack, a shifting carmember for the pawl engaging cam, a car- 10 riage provided with a vertically adjustable riage, and rollers mounted thereon engagpawl, and an operative cam therefor adapting the cam.

5 ed to raise the pawl and to shift the carriage In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my in one direction and the other. signature.

8. Shifting mechanism consisting of a vertically movable pawl adapted to engage HOWARD R. LOUGHRIDGE. 

